Men: Backstory

Egyptian Men: Backstory

Perils of Patriarchy
Jobs
Unions
Earning a marriage
Human Wrongs

Perils of patriarchy

In its emphasis on the rights of women in Arab countries the West tends to overlook the rights and responsibilities of men in these patriarchal societies. Yet the two - men and women rights - are inevitably intertwined: the pressures on one are felt by the other.

In Egypt, for example, a man is expected to be the head of the family. He's expected to protect and provide; in fact, he's supposed to keep his wife in the style equal to that which she had before she married.

Formally, he's responsible for major decisions, although he probably consults his wife. As protector of his family's status, he's permitted to tell his wife how to behave, what to wear and which family members she should or should not visit.

Unfortunately these responsibilities grew out of another economic time and place, one in which he had half a chance of meeting them.

Jobs

Jobs are tough to find, especially for young men. Official unemployment figures fall somewhere between 10 and 12 percent; unofficially, they're said to be between 15 and 25%. For youth, about 34%. What's more, wages are so low that most men have to work more than one job just to pay for necessities. It's common, for example, to find a man with a full time day job driving a cab at night to make ends meet.

In any one year, five million young men leave their families to scrape out a slightly better living in Libya and the Gulf states. Collectively, they send 6 to 8 billion dollars a year to their families in Egypt--providing the country with one of its major sources of revenue.

Labor Unions

Although labor unions are becoming more restless, they're limited by the fact that, practically speaking, they're controlled by the government. And education doesn't help much either: A high school or college graduate is as likely as an illiterate man to be unemployed. Almost 60% of Egyptians are under the age of 25 and the BBC reports 700,000 new graduates each year chasing about 200,000 jobs. While education is advancing to meet the requirements of a contemporary economy, it's still the minority who have the computer, foreign languages and communication skills to compete in the changing economy.

As a result, many college graudates wait and hope for the security of a government job but as the government privatizes, the number of openings shrinks. Today most are for female teachers who work for a pittance.

Jobs in private sector companies are often below legal standards for minimum wages, medical insurance working hours, or job security.

Earning Marriage

Not able to make money, a man will often put off marriage until 30 or so. It's likely to take that long to save the money he needs to provide a fully furnished apartment, his responsibility in the marriage contract. Typically, this is the equivalent of 42 months of income for the groom and his father. If he's shooting for an especially attractive wife - in terms of family, education or wealth - he will need more.

Meanwhile, sexual relationships prior to marriage are taboo, leaving many sexually frustrated young men loitering on the streets, catcalling women, fully covered or not. Some men kill time in the shisha café, others are on the computer, and almost all dedicate a block of time to soccer matches.

Human Wrongs

On both the economic and sexual fronts, then, young men are close to powerless; older, married ones are not that much better off. Rarely do they have time to sit with the family - which is a pleasure for many of them.

Salting the wound are humiliating bureaucracies, widespread nepotism, rampant corruption and the occasional beating - for no reason except bribes - from the police.

So the list of human rights - things like civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the right to food, work and education - are honored mostly in their absence. There's little a man can do to bring change, without hazarding a stay in jail. Mostly he's poor, uneducated and taught to be compliant.

For the supposed patriarch, the man whose self-respect depends on his ability to provide for and protect his family, the system's obstacles are cruel. Out of sheer frustration, a man may compensate for his social humiliation by being more domineering at home. Or violent.

Fortunately, he, like his wife, has his neighborhood, community and, to one degree or another, his religion to support him. If he's lucky, he inherited the famous Egyptian sense of humor.

Comment on this article

Propose an article


	Egyptian Men: Backstory Perils of Patriarchy Jobs Unions Earning a marriage Human Wrongs Perils of patriarchy In its emphasis on the rights of women in Arab countries the West tends to overlook the rights and responsibilities of men in these patriarchal societies. Yet the two - men and women rights - are inevitably intertwined: the pressures on one are felt by the other. In Egypt, for example, a man is expected to be the head of the family. He's expected to protect and provide; in fact, he's supposed to keep his wife in the style equal to that which she had before she married. Formally, he's responsible for major decisions, although he probably consults his wife. As protector of his family's status, he's permitted to tell his wife how to behave, what to wear and which family members she should or should not visit. Unfortunately these responsibilities grew out of another economic time and place, one in which he had half a chance of meeting them. Jobs Jobs are tough to find, especially for young men. Official unemployment figures fall somewhere between 10 and 12 percent; unofficially, they're said to be between 15 and 25%. For youth, about 34%. What's more, wages are so low that most men have to work more than one job just to pay for necessities. It's common, for example, to find a man with a full time day job driving a cab at night to make ends meet. In any one year, five million young men leave their families to scrape out a slightly better living in Libya and the Gulf states. Collectively, they send 6 to 8 billion dollars a year to their families in Egypt--providing the country with one of its major sources of revenue. Labor Unions Although labor unions are becoming more restless, they're limited by the fact that, practically speaking, they're controlled by the government. And education doesn't help much either: A high school or college graduate is as likely as an illiterate man to be unemployed. Almost 60% of Egyptians are under the age of 25 and the BBC reports 700,000 new graduates each year chasing about 200,000 jobs. While education is advancing to meet the requirements of a contemporary economy, it's still the minority who have the computer, foreign languages and communication skills to compete in the changing economy. As a result, many college graudates wait and hope for the security of a government job but as the government privatizes, the number of openings shrinks. Today most are for female teachers who work for a pittance. Jobs in private sector companies are often below legal standards for minimum wages, medical insurance working hours, or job security. Earning Marriage Not able to make money, a man will often put off marriage until 30 or so. It's likely to take that long to save the money he needs to provide a fully furnished apartment, his responsibility in the marriage contract. Typically, this is the equivalent of 42 months of income for the groom and his father. If he's shooting for an especially attractive wife - in terms of family, education or wealth - he will need more. Meanwhile, sexual relationships prior to marriage are taboo, leaving many sexually frustrated young men loitering on the streets, catcalling women, fully covered or not. Some men kill time in the shisha café, others are on the computer, and almost all dedicate a block of time to soccer matches. Human Wrongs On both the economic and sexual fronts, then, young men are close to powerless; older, married ones are not that much better off. Rarely do they have time to sit with the family - which is a pleasure for many of them. Salting the wound are humiliating bureaucracies, widespread nepotism, rampant corruption and the occasional beating - for no reason except bribes - from the police. So the list of human rights - things like civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the right to food, work and education - are honored mostly in their absence. There's little a man can do to bring change, without hazarding a stay in jail. Mostly he's poor, uneducated and taught to be compliant. For the supposed patriarch, the man whose self-respect depends on his ability to provide for and protect his family, the system's obstacles are cruel. Out of sheer frustration, a man may compensate for his social humiliation by being more domineering at home. Or violent. Fortunately, he, like his wife, has his neighborhood, community and, to one degree or another, his religion to support him. If he's lucky, he inherited the famous Egyptian sense of humor. Comment on this article Propose an article